It is this time of the year again! Looking back in all the books I have read through this year, I made a list of the five titles that I enjoyed the most. Once again, I failed to include any fiction book in my reading list, but I hope to do that next year. In the following list you will find a diverse cohort of non-fiction titles that covers topics such as Jungian archetypes, science communication and physical exercise. In case you are interested in other book recommendations, you can also check my lists for 2020 and 2021. Enjoy and happy reading!

Exercised by Daniel Lieberman

I found out about this book from an episode on the COMPLEXITY podcast. Daniel Lieberman is a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard and in “Exercised” he takes on the history of exercise from a unique perspective. Lieberman asks several questions, such as why even though exercise is necessary for our survival, we tend take it easy whenever possible? He uses all the latest studies in both anthropology and evolutionary biology to answer these questions. The key idea of the book is that we did not evolve to exercise, in the sense of doing voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. We rather had physical activity incorporated in our lifestyle, which has evolved over the years, and in the modern western society we tend to lead sedentary lives, which also are causing deceases that our ancestors were not even aware of. A great book that combines ideas from different fields of research.

King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Douglas Gillette and Robert Moore

I have always had an interest in psychology, and I came across this title while watching a video on YouTube regarding archetypes in cinema. According to Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist, the soul - or psyche - was made of the ego, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The archetypes are a result of the collective, shared ancestral memories that one can find hidden in art, literature and religion. In this book, Gillette and Moore take on the archetypes that define masculinity, namely the King, the Warrior, the Magician and the Lover, and analyze them. Each archetype can be represented with a triangle: the bottom corners represent the bi-polar shadow-split of the archetype, and the top the archetype in its fullness. A nice book for men of all ages.

Quantum Legacies by David Kaiser

I have a soft spot for the history of quantum theory, and this recent book by David Kaiser was the perfect treat for me. In it we can find essays about the scientists behind this great revolution in physics, and learn about its history and influence in the Western societies of the 20th century. Kaiser’s writing style is really enjoyable, and I highly recommend his other books, such as the How the Hippies Saved Physics. If you want to learn more about the book, check out this interview.

If I understood you would I have this look on my face? by Alan Alda

I came across this great book while looking for science communication literature. Alan Alda is a famous actor and author, and hosted the Scientific American Frontiers, a television show that explored cutting-edge advances in science and technology. In this book, Alda argues that empathy can be used to enhance communication. He also discusses how improv can help better communicate ideas (remember this blog post?).

Your money or your life by Vicki Robin and Joseph R. Dominguez

The fifth book of my list is one of the classics for personal finance by Vicki Robin and Joseph Dominguez. The first edition of the book was published back in 1992 (the year I was born!), but I actually read the revised version of 2008. The goal of this book is to change our relationship with money through a 9-step program. It is the “bible” for FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early), which is a lifestyle movement preaching that a frugal lifestyle in combination with aggressive investments can lead to a large accumulation of assets that allows one to retire early and live off this money. I found many of these ideas in the book useful, and I highly recommend it to my fellow Millennials.